Lord Prescott seeks judicial review of Met’s phone-hacking probe

Lord Prescott seeks judicial review of Met’s phone-hacking probe

Lord Prescott seeks judicial review of Met’s phone-hacking probe

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John Prescott

Review: John Prescott will claim for a judicial review into the phone-hacking saga

Review: John Prescott will claim for a judicial review into the phone-hacking saga

Lord Prescott is to seek a judicial review of the Metropolitan Police's handling of the News of the World phone-hacking scandal.

The former deputy prime minister today vowed to take the action after the Met allegedly refused to provide all the information relating to him found during a search of jailed private investigator Glenn Mulcaire's office.

"It has always been my intention to discover the truth behind this case and whether the Metropolitan Police fulfilled its duty to follow all the lines of evidence," Lord Prescott said on his website. "It is my belief they didn't and I hope the judicial review will finally reveal why justice not only wasn't done, but wasn't seen to be done."

However, Assistant Metropolitan Police Commissioner John Yates has said that he does not believe that there is any evidence that Lord Prescott's phone was hacked. The Met has also insisted that it carried out a proper investigation into the hacking claims.

Lord Prescott said he will ask the courts to declare that his human rights were breached and order the Met to disclose fully any information relating to him. He is also seeking damages which he said would be go to charity.

"I have finally received a reply from the Metropolitan Police refusing my request to supply all the information relating to me from the search of the office of convicted phone hacker Glenn Mulcaire," the statement said.

Chef Gordon Ramsay emerged today as the latest celebrity who may have been a victim of hacking by tabloid journalists. Lord Prescott's move comes after Labour MP Chris Bryant, former Scotland Yard deputy assistant commissioner Brian Paddick and journalist Brendan Montague also sought a judicial review of the police's handling of the case.

It follows the questioning of former News of the World reporter Sean Hoare over claims that Downing Street communications chief Andy Coulson knew about the hacking when he was editor of the Sunday paper. He strongly denies that he was aware of it.

Former assistant commissioner Andy Hayman, who oversaw the original phone-hacking inquiry, today dismissed Lord Prescott's move as a "rant" and suggested a judicial review may be a "waste of public money".